Illarramendi apologises after being filmed dressed as Batman taunting a bull

Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi has apologised after a video was published showing him running in front of a bull dressed as Batman at a festival in his native Basque Country.

The footage shows a number of people, including a masked figure in a cape local media said was Illarramendi, taunting the animal.

The incident occurred at the annual carnival on Azpeitia, and Illarramendi took advantage of last week’s international break so he could attend the event with his friends.

“We have an internal rule designed to prevent players going skiing and other dangerous things but I have never known it applied to bull fighting,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told a regular post-training news conference on Saturday.

“He has apologised and that’s that,” added the Italian coach.

Illarramendi, who turns 24 on Saturday, moved to Real Madrid from Real Sociedad in the close season.